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Tolfalas
Tolfalas in TA 1640 *Political Organization: Royal Fief. *Rulers: Tirome, Crown Warden of Tolfalas. *Administrative Orgnization: The King appoints the Warden, who in turn appoints all other offices on the island: most land held by the King, but some Freeholds granted in exchange tor past service. *Population: 600 Dunedain (does not include garrison). *Military: 70 Garrison Soldiers.600 Sailors of the Royal Navy. *Products: Fish. Tolfalas sat enticingly in the center of the Bay of Belfalas. The island was home to some of the greatest natural wonders of northwestern Middle-earth. Tolfalas was part of the King of Gondor's personal property, and he appointed a Warden to ensure that the inhabitants obeyed his laws. Sadly, the lack of a good natural harbor limited the population on Tolfalas. Shoals and reefs made navigation around the island treacherous. Because there was only a small squadron of royal ships watching for smugglers and spies from Umbar, the island was particularly vulnerable to raids by pirates and warships alike. A shortage of arable land also limited the population. Only a direct royal interest in the region kept the island inhabited at all, for the rough climate and the constant threat of raids prevented the few inhabitants from growing over-fond of the place. The island was a volcanic outcropping of rock, rich in many forms of wildlife unknown to the rest of Endor. Fishing was the primary industry', though it remained limited in scale. Prospectors had discovered some gems in the island's sulphurous and fiery central valley, but they could find no investors foolhardy enough to back a major venture. Other explorers reported the ruins of the Daen Coentis in the highlands, sure evidence of that ancient people's skill at navigation. Tolfalas was the largest island in Belfalas Bay, lying some miles off the coasts of Harondor, Lebennin and Dor-en-ernil, opposite the Ethir Anduin. The volcanic topography of Tolfalas was dramatic without exception, though much of its eastern side could provide harborage to the manner in need. Those few hardy souls inhabiting Tolfalas also valued the eastern section of the isle as shelter from ravaging storms.The Great Wave following the Downfall of Númenór struck the southwestern side of the island with full force, shattering its coastline and leaving behind a host of deadly rocks and shoals for the ruin-of many a ship. The island was the only pure volcanic formation within southern Gondor, having reached a stable geological form only after a series of violent eruptions at the end of the First Age. By the second millennium of the Second Age, however, its newly-ground soil was already supporting vegetation. Although long past the time of its cataclysmic eruptions, Tolfalas remained a relatively "ac- tive" area, and minor eruptions were fairly common phenomena every century or so. The changing character of the isle prevented Mannish settlement until a comparatively tame period, and settlement had always been marginal. Several hot springs existed on the island, the waters of which were prized for their reputed medicinal properties. History Tolfalas entered recorded history during the early Second Age, when Aldarion the Mariner set foot on its shores during his voyages of exploration. In a sheltered cove on the western coast of the island, Aldarion planted an oiolairë sapling, which was later revered by the Faithful of Pelargir. Here Imrazôr the Númenórean, last Captain of the Guild of Venturers, was buried by Vëantur his son; and thereafter the hallows of Tolfalas became the traditional place of interment for the line of Imrazôr, as well as for Edhelion of Dor-en-Ernil and his descendants. For this reason, Elendil the Tall decreed that the isle should be retained as a part of the prince's domain, and not subject to the king or to the Pelargirean League. In T. A. 748, Prince Lothirion of Belfalas made Tolfalas a fief of his youngest son Eärnil, in order that the latter might fortify the island in support of the Captain of the Hosts, during his expansion of royal control west and south of the Ethir Anduin. Thus, in T.A. 913, when Eärnil became king, Tolfalas became a royal ward, and would remain so for the rest of the Third Age. During the Kin-strife, the island was ruled by Castamir the Ursurper's warden, residing at Gobel Tolfalas. The warden and his men left the island after the siege of Pelargir, first having plundered Imrazôr's Hallow. The Usurper's men, turning to piracy, changed the peaceful existence of the fisher-folk of Tolfalas. The villages on the island easy prey for the Corsairs, and only three short years after Castamaitë launched his career of piracy in T.A. 1475, the island was almost entirely deserted. However, the fishermen of the Ethir still caught shellfish outside Tolfalas, and sometimes stopped there for freshwater. Although it had become a home of smugglers and a resting place for the Corsairs, the Gondorians still regarded Tolfalas as their land, and strove to prevent foes from establishing a base there. This was the cause for the destruction of Gobel Tolfalas by Gondor's navy in T.A. 1479. Thereafter, the navy patrolled the Bay of Belfalas frequently, and landed on the island at irregular intervals in order to destroy any stores, buildings, or goods built or left by smugglers. Smuggler or Corsair camps during this period typically included some kind of defensive barrier, such as a palisade or makeshift earthwork (or both), and contained temporary shelters of wood and sod construction. A given camp would not usually remain occupied for more than a few weeks at a time, though it would be used repeatedly by the same group. During such a sojourn on Tolfalas, the Corsair or smuggler band would spend a good portion of its time hunting for food (unless their most recent booty included edibles). Sometimes a hidden cache of cured meats and dried fruits would be left in a nearby cave by a group that expected to return to the island in the future. the land Created by fire and shaped by the roaring sea, Tolfalas Was a violent and beautiful place, studded with black cliffs and a steep series of foreboding peaks. It possessed a few active volcanoes, as well as a geyser field, and was the only volcanic region of southern Gondor. The island measured approximately sixty by thirty miles, and its two highest peaks were close to 1,200 feet high. Tolfalas provided few comfortable spots for settlement. Its deep, narrow canyons were flanked by hard basalt walls, and the thin soils held little promise for the higher flora. The shores were rocky and offered only a few anchorages, and those only for smaller ships. Shoals made sailing around the isle difficult, even in the best of weather. Olvar and Kelvar While basically rocky, Tolfalas had a few spots where fertile, volcanic soils had not been washed away. On the eastern side of the isle, where the winds were milder, olive and cork trees grew together with grape vines and many kinds of shrubs. On the western side, the flora was limited to lichen and weeds. The vegetation supported many animals: wild goats, deer, and pigs wanderef in the valleys, while tidal pools and shallows abounded with oysters, clams, lobsters, and crabs. But above all, Tolfalas was home to sea birds. The pock-marked basalt cliffs made excellent nesting grounds, and on clear days the island could be seen from afar, surrounded by a multitude of birds. Inhabitants Tolfalas was settled in the second century of the Third Age by fisher-folk from the Ethir, and soon there were several thriving fishing villages. Goat- and pig-keeping, and the growing of vegetables in sheltered places served to supplement the livelihood of these people. Because the folk of Tolfalas had little to offer, the king demanded no special tribute from them, commanding only that they helped supply food for the island's warden and its garrison at Gobel Tolfalas. In times of crisis, the warden could also muster the fishermen as a local militia, but this duty never removed them far from the defense of their own homesteads. Politics and Power During the periods of Gondorian occupation, Tolfalas was ruled by a warden appointed by the king, who maintained order on the island and saw that its coasts were regularly patrolled. The warden sometimes mediated local disputes from his seat at Gobel Tolfalas, but otherwise the inhabitants of the island were left to govern themselves. An equally important figure, however, was the Master of the Straits, based at Dol Aerrochben on the northern tip of the island. Although also a royal appointee, the Master of the Straits was in reality a naval officer not subject to the authority of the warden, except in matters pertaining to the island itself. Warcraft The Warden of Tolfalas also acted as the military commander of the island's defenses. He possessed a small garrison of some sixty soldiers, who guarded the haven of Gobel Tolfalas or patroled the coasts for smugglers and Corsairs. In addition, Gobel Tolfalas fielded a squadron of five small patrol vessels, designed for easy maneuvering along the rugged coast. In time of war, these vessels and the garrison infantry were positioned with a view to the defense of the firth of Tolfalas, and would only venture beyond its sheltered waters if the nearby village of Nen Gilros was threatened. Dol Aerrochben also possessed a small naval garrison, but its task was solely to defend the straits, not the island. Nevertheless, in times of grave need the Master of the Straits could send aid to the warden, but under no condition would leave the straits completely unguarded. Geography The island measures approximately sixty by twenty miles, and its two highest peaks are close to 1,800 feet high. It was formed as an island through volcanic eruptions, and is one of the two active volcanic regions in Gondor (the other one is Ephel Dúath). Its deep, narrow volcanic canyons are flanked by hard basalt walls, and the thin soil hold little promise for the higher flora. The shores are rocky and offer only a few anchorages, and those only for smaller ships. Shoals make sailing around Tolfalas very difficult, even in the best of weather. The climate is typical of the Belfalas Bay. During the year approximately 300 days are sunny and the few others are rainy, with a major concentration of rainfall in the winter and autumn, some heavy showers in the spring, and snowfalls on the highest massifs and highlands. On the eastern side of the isle, where the winds are milder, olive and cork trees grow together with grape vines and many kinds of shrubs. On the western side, flora is limited to lichen and weeds. Greater part of the island is unsuitable for agriculture, but the vegetation support many animals: wild goats, deer, and wild pigs wander in the valleys, while tidal pools and shallows abound with oysters, clams, lobsters, and crabs. But above all, Tolfalas is home to sea birds. The pock-marked basalt cliffs make excellent nesting grounds, and on clear days the island can be seen from afar, surrounded by a multitude of birds. Regions firth of Tolfalas Nen Gilros The Straits Tolfalas Moorlands Settlements and Points of Interest *Barlín Iaur *Caras Tolfalas *Caichail Puchel *Dol Aerrochben *Fanghîn's Cave *Lond Tolfalas *Nen Gilros *Nenmarros *Twin-tower Inhabitants Men: *Corsairs of umbar *Daen Coentis *Danan Lin *Gondorians *Sakalai *Yagû-gum Category:Island Category:Gondor Category:Province